Chapter 5 of 10
Chapter 5
16 min read4,059 words
In the town of Xiaosang, the cold wind blew, and the icy autumn mulberry leaves, after a night of rain, fell all over the courtyard. A large part of them lay on the roof, forming a ripple of leaves, adding a touch of damp elegance to the humble little house.
With the mulberry leaves fallen, the silkworm merchants were like entering a harsh winter early, and this was usually the time when Zhu Minglang started to wander aimlessly.
Wearing a bamboo hat and a straw cloak, Zhu Minglang swept the rain-soaked fallen leaves in the courtyard. Suddenly, he saw a pair of slender, jade-like feet approaching gracefully.
Zhu Minglang looked up at her.
She was cold and distant, her beautiful amber eyes filled with a hint of killing intent.
Today, she was not as weak as usual, nor as peaceful. She exuded a powerful aura, one that only someone who had truly experienced the baptism of war could possess!
It seemed that her strength had recovered somewhat, though it was still far from her original power. Zhu Minglang had heard many stories about her formidable abilities.
"Are you going to seek revenge?" Zhu Minglang asked.
As soon as he spoke, countless silver threads flew out from the sleeves of the Valkyrie. They were incredibly hard and quickly formed a silver-threaded sword, which hovered at Zhu Minglang's neck.
"Am I the first?" Zhu Minglang asked with a bitter smile.
The sword slid past, and the Valkyrie, light as a swallow, darted past. A thin bloodstain immediately appeared on Zhu Minglang's neck.
Zhu Minglang didn't move, waiting for his head to roll to the ground.
But it was just a shallow cut, breaking the skin.
Not going to kill me?
Zhu Minglang held his neck and turned to look at the Valkyrie's graceful, tall back.
He didn't thank her for sparing his life, after all, if she had been truly ruthless, she wouldn't have reached out to pull him out of the dungeon.
"Will I really be a stain on your heart, a lifelong disgrace?" Zhu Minglang asked.
In recent days, he had often heard stories about the Valkyrie and the homeless man, one in the heavenly palace, the other in the stinky cement ditch underground. The huge disparity in their statuses yet being entangled together was a sensational topic. It wouldn't be long before people outside Yongcheng would also know about this news.
The Valkyrie didn't answer, continuing to walk out. This time, she didn't disguise herself as she had in the past few days but revealed her true appearance—simple, haggard, yet still breathtakingly beautiful.
"Actually..." Zhu Minglang watched her gradually disappear, the words on the tip of his tongue swallowed back.
Zhu Minglang understood.
He wasn't the Valkyrie's disgrace; his current lowly status was.
...
She left, and Zhu Minglang felt a bit complex. Subconsciously, he picked a large, plump mulberry leaf and placed it in his palm. The little ice worm immediately jumped from his shoulder onto the leaf happily.
"Can we ever go back to the days when we were invincible?" Zhu Minglang asked the little ice worm absentmindedly.
For so many years, Zhu Minglang still couldn't understand why a perfectly good white dragon would be wrapped in silk in one night and then rapidly degenerate into a small creature that only knew how to munch on mulberry leaves.
The little ice worm ignored him, slightly lifting the leaf with its almost invisible front claws, as if a small child holding a bowl much larger than himself, and started munching with a "rustling" sound.
It wiggled its plump body, making happy chewing sounds, and after eating, it blinked its big eyes contentedly.
Seeing the little guy's adorable appearance, Zhu Minglang couldn't help but laugh and poked its big belly with his other hand.
The little guy didn't seem to know any shame, immediately flipping over to let Zhu Minglang massage it, making a "humming" sound of enjoyment.
"Being ordinary is pretty good too, no pressure, no worries, and no one expects anything from you..."
Shaking his head, Zhu Minglang continued to clean his small courtyard. Next year, he would plant more large mulberry trees on the back mountain. The little guy's appetite was getting bigger, and if he didn't work harder, he wouldn't be able to support the little ice worm, who depended on him for survival.
"By the way, it's not even noon, why is it getting so hot?" Zhu Minglang hadn't been cleaning for long when he gradually felt the cold air being driven away.
Strands of red light pierced through the dense clouds, dyeing the small town of Xiaosang and the nearby forests a bright, crimson red.
Zhu Minglang looked up at the sky.
Hadn't morning already passed? Why was there such an exaggerated sunrise?
The red clouds hung like inverted flames, transforming the vast blue sky into a breathtakingly beautiful scene in a short time!
"Creak~~~"
Before Zhu Minglang could figure out the source of the sky's anomaly, the wooden door suddenly opened, and the Valkyrie, who had just left, rushed in with a hurried expression.
Zhu Minglang's eyes brightened...
She had come back.
Actually, he could plant more winter plum trees. This winter, Zhu Minglang could be more diligent. As long as she was willing to live a simple life with him and didn't mind the smell of silkworm droppings in the small courtyard, yes, I can support you.
"Can you not seek revenge?" Zhu Minglang smiled, the words almost on the tip of his tongue, but before he could speak...
The Valkyrie, with a serious expression, spoke quickly, "You will pretend to be one of my clan."
Zhu Minglang hadn't understood what was happening when the courtyard gate was pushed open again, and a tall, imposing man in green and red attire walked in.
Although his attire and appearance were extraordinary, what drew the most attention was his extremely pale face, as if he was suffering from some chronic illness, lacking the normal color of a healthy person.
Despite his appearance, he didn't seem frail; instead, his cold and proud demeanor was intimidating.
Zhu Minglang looked at the endless red clouds in the sky and the occasional flashes of red in the man's eyes, quickly understanding something.
A dragon herder.
And a very strong one!!
"Is the person you said would accompany you him?" Luo Xiao asked, his gaze sharp as he looked at Zhu Minglang.
"He arrived first and has already reported my current situation to the clan. I asked him to clean up the traces of my stay here, and we will return to the Ancestor Dragon City tomorrow," the Valkyrie said.
Luo Xiao approached and began to scrutinize Zhu Minglang. His serious and skeptical expression clearly showed that he didn't fully believe what the Valkyrie said.
"Valkyrie," Zhu Minglang bowed to the Valkyrie, his face unchanged, "The clan ordered me to bring you back, but did not allow strangers to accompany you. Your status is noble, and you are so dignified and beautiful. I suggest you not trust someone of unknown origin."
"What unknown origin, I am from the clan... the clan..." Luo Xiao stopped, unsure how to continue.
"Luo Xiao was a servant in my father's courtyard and is now a dragon herder, not someone of unknown origin," the Valkyrie said.
"Oh, then he is a clansman. In that case, let's go together, and we can look out for each other," Zhu Minglang said, reluctantly agreeing.
First, he questioned the person who was about to question him, a clever and somewhat mischievous move!
Zhu Minglang couldn't help but marvel at his own acting skills, which hadn't diminished over the years!
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